Parking a car is made easier by using reference points and understanding reverse steering

General Parking

Many accidents or 'fender benders' happen in parking lots and it's usually because people can just tend to lose their good judgment and become unaware of what's happening around them.

The issue becomes particularly apparent when backing up. This is not so surprising when you think that we're trying to see all around and pick up on every movement outside of the car.

Not only are cars at higher risk of accidents in parking lots but also pedestrians and small children particularly are at risk as they are often hard to see.

*One of the best tips to remember when parking is to keep moving your head and looking in all directions when reversing.

You may start with nothing around you and then instantly find someone has zipped in next to you as you're trying to reverse and turn out of the parking slot. This is a prime candidate for a bumper crunch down the side of that car next to you. To avoid this type of situation keep turning your head when reversing.

*Another important tip to remember when parking a car is to move the car slowly but try to turn quickly. Thereby you make your parking maneuver efficient in relation to the space which you have to park.

Generally it's a very good idea to select areas of a car park where there are relatively few cars. Doing this not only makes parking easier but it also helps avoid your car being damaged by other careless drivers when parking their cars.

In this section we'll cover all the main types of parking as highlighted in the sections below:-

Parallel Parking

Angle Parking

Perpendicular Parking

It is generally considered harder than angle parking as you may often need to reverse into the slot due to space constraints. The 90 degree turning also requires more skill and judgment.

Click here for detailed guidance on perpendicular parking including the best reference points to use:-